Half Life 3
by Kiefer I
Summary: Twenty years later, after the defeat of the Combine, a new threat invades Earth. It's time for Freeman to take up the crowbar once again. Rated T for some intense violence. *Spoilers, not only for Half Life, but for my own previous writings*
1. Chapter 1: Check Up

What you are about to read is the sequel to Episode 3, featuring my own characters and locations along with Valve's

What you are about to read is the sequel to Episode 3, featuring my own characters and locations along with Valve's. Now, I have to say this. Every story I have written has come to this point. If there are some parts that you don't understand that are in this story, it's because these parts include items from my previous writings. Go read them. People seem to like them. ;) Hope you enjoy this, because this might become a novel length story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Valve and it's content. I do own my own characters and locations that are not in the half-life universe.

--

**Half Life 3**

**--**

"Come on, you little bugger."

Samantha Freeman wasn't the most patient nineteen year old on the planet. But, this task had to take just that. Inside, she was still restless. Sitting out in the open of a field, Sam could feel the wind against her face and the dew from the tall grass caressing her harms. Here arms were exposed by the A-shirt she was wearing. The jeans she wore were her mother's, way back in the day. A blue sweatshirt was wrapped around her torso, keeping it from being a nuisance. This kept her cool from the beautiful sun. Fortunately, the trees that surrounded the field provided some shade, as if they were guarding this sacred ground. But, Sam wasn't out here for the beautiful nature.

Her ears pricked. A small rustle in the grass indicated that her prey was here. She needed it to be closer though. Sam's slender fingers slipped gently down her thigh, grasping the cold metal. Tinny footsteps moved closer to her position.

"_Just a few more steps._" She thought.

Suddenly, a screech pierced the lukewarm air. Sam jumped to her feet, spun and with one fluid motion, pulled the pistol out of its holster. She aimed right at the small creature while it was still in midair. Squeezing the trigger, Sam sent a deadly round of lead strain into the cat-like creature, sending yellow and green blood out of every pore in its body. It landed in the grass with a sickly thud.

Satisfied, the human defender holstered her weapon. Kneeling down, she examined her trophy. A head-crab male, about 40 pounds and three years old. A fine catch indeed. Sam was happy about today's catch and decided to call it a day. She walked back into the woods, back to Green Base.

Gordon Freeman, a Doctor of Portal Technology back at Black Mesa, a secure testing center, was part of a horrific Resonance Cascade, causing aliens from another world to attack the human planet. A massive army called the Combine invaded earth; easily conquering it's people in a matter of 7 hours. But, Gordon Freeman had disappeared during this attack. While the people of earth became slaves, rebels decided to rise up against their enemy. Eli Vance, Freeman's friend and colleague back at Black Mesa, became the leader of the rebels, pushing them towards victory. His daughter, Alyx Vance, became an essential part during this awful time.

However, Gordon Freeman appeared twenty years later, out of nowhere. He led the rebels and Alyx through many battles, finally beating the Combine back. Not without sacrifice, though. Their enemy, causing a great blow to the rebels, took Eli Vance life. Gordon decided to hit the Combine where it hurt. The last battle took place in the arctic, where a fabled ship had crashed, carrying a portal big enough for the Combine to receive a bigger army. Gordon and Alyx destroyed the boat and it's contents. After the destruction of the Borealis and its portal technology, the Combine had no way of getting reinforcements. They were easily beaten and were whipped off the planet, save for a small band hiding.

The rebels decided to make their home at Green Base, fifty miles outside of City 17, the old Combine capitol, now destroyed. Green Base was an old army bunker that spanned deep into the hills. A perimeter of anti-aircraft cannons and machine guns were place in a neat circle, always occupied. This was an impenetrable fortress.

--

The gravel rumbled beneath Sam's boots as they approached a large metal door: the entrance into Green Base. She had to check into several checkpoints before reaching the main gate. Even though the Combine were defeated, a few pockets of small enemy forces dotted the beautiful countryside, keeping the rebels on it's toes. Sam had only seen Combine soldiers on the video logs containing history about their invasion. Usually, she was confined to the base.

"Hey, Sam."

Garreht Sampson's voice pulled the young Freeman out of a daze. The gateman simply stood by the door, guarding. He wore the rebel regulation "soldier suit". The ensemble included green baggy pants, an armored vest, heavy shirt and a beanie that basically kept his head warm. Sampson had always been sweet to her. Sam gave a warm smile.

"Well, hello."

"Catch any today?" The young watchman began with small talk.

"Six."

Garreht whistled. "Nice."

Sam smiled. "I'll probably head out tomorrow again. So, I will see you later?'

That smile got to him, only causing his visitor to look even more stunning.

"Y-yeah. Definitely." He stammered. Turning to a keypad next to the bulkhead, Garreht typed in a short code, which responded with a few, chipper beeps. The pair of five-ton doors slid apart, allowing the young lady to enter. She waved goodbye before descending into the ground.

--

Sam's elevator stopped after dropping eight levels into the ground. The doors parted, revealing a long, concrete hallway filled with bustling civilians and rebels, each heading towards their own tasks. Sam melted into the crowd, following the wave.  
A muffled set of beeps escaped her pockets. Instantly, she realized it was the portable COM unit. She slipped it out of the pocket and activated the talk button.

"This is Sam."

"_Sam, this is Kathryn."_

Sam smiled. "Oh, hey doc." Kathryn Forest had been the main medical doctor for the rebels since the Cascade.

The radio continued. "_Your father is here."_

Sam stopped in her tracks and sighed. _Again?_

"Alright," she breathed. "I'll be there in a sec."

She sprinted against the crowd.

--

Sam reached the medical ward of Green Base in record time. Spending so much time inside gave her an advantage to the traffic packed passageways. She knew the halls by heart and also the air ducts. A little trick she had learned from her Dad.

Sam tapped the intercom, moving her mouth closer to the speaker.

"Doctor Forest?"

A small clack reverberated from the door. "_It's open."_

She pushed the door to the side, moving into a small hallway with two doors lining each side, accompanied by two long viewing windows. Beyond the Plexiglas were large, round rooms filled with a plethora of utensils of medicine. To the room at here right, she could see her father sitting on a table in the center of the room. Entering, she caught Gordon Freeman's eye.

A big smile peered through his thick goatee. This was the hero of the world. He, along with her mother, had defeated the alien enemy single handedly. Now, after twenty years, he was past his prime. A hint of salt pried at his moustache and beard, along with his sideburns. His old "War wounds" had given him problems, always. That was why he was in the ward. As he grew, the damage to his body would stretch, causing excruciating pain. But, with the grin at his daughter, no one would have known that he was breaking each day.

Sam smiled, wrapping her arms around Gordon's neck.

"Mmmm. How are you?" the elder Freeman asked, his voice deep and melodic.

"How am I? How are you! This is like the third time this month." She tried to sound cheery, but couldn't help a knowing feeling in her stomach. Gordon simply shrugged.

"It's nothing."

Sam leaned her hip to the side, resting he hands on the pockets. An eyebrow curled up as if to say "_How stupid do you think I am?" _

Gordon chuckled. Every time Sam did that, it always reminded him of his wife, Alyx. Whenever she was annoyed, the same pose would be revealed, making him helpless.

He surrendered. "Okay, fine. I can't really pronounce most of the things that are wrong with me, so . . . Nathan!"

Out of an open door on the other side of the room, still sitting in a chair and reading a file. He was wearing a green button up shirt, which was hanging over his dark blue jeans underneath his while lab coat. His spectacles, similar to her dad's, complemented it all, but were thin.

"I'm almost done with you check, Mr. Freeman. I just have to . . ." Nathan's eyes finally peered over his glasses. Once noticing Sam standing next to her father, he jumped to his feet, as if had had been stung.

"Oh," he stumbled. "Hey, Sam."

She suppressed the urge to laugh. "Hi, Nate."

Gordon almost rolled his eyes. "Nathan, my daughter would like to know what's wrong with me."

"Oh, right!" His eyes darted to the chart. "Well, your thigh muscles have been pulled to the limit again, almost snapping. Your shoulder still doesn't want to stay in its socket. And it seems that we are going to have to cement your spine again."

Gordon simply nodded while Sam's eyes started to become warm. She quickly wiped her lids.

Without noticing, Nathan continued, pulling two bottles out of a cupboard. "Now, I'm going to give you some pain killers and some Teradram. That should keep you stable for a few days while we get everything set for surgery." The bottles were transferred into Gordon's hands. Nate's eyes turned to Sam. Before he could say anything, the bulkhead opened, allowing a very cranky Dr. Kathryn into the room. She smiled.

"Salutations, Sam!" The elderly woman moved in for a hug. Old age had affected the good doctor more than Gordon, surprisingly. Her hair was stark white and wrinkles pulled at her cheeks and forehead. Besides this, she was still full of life.

Her eyes moved to Nate, who gave a nervous smile. Gordon and Dr. Forest exchanged a knowing glance.

"Is Gordon all set, Nate?" Forest asked.

"Yep. He is ready to go."

The broken hero slipped off the long seat with a groan. He hugged Kathryn's and shook Nate's hand. "Thank you guys. If I have anymore problems, I'll just head back here."

Father and daughter walked out into the main hall and moved towards their home. Gordon took it slow, keeping a relaxed pace. Sam stuffed her hands into her pockets, nervous about his health. He noticed.

"Nate was staring again." He stated, trying to keep up a distracting conversation.

Sam lowered her head. "I know. I'm sorry."

Gordon smiled. "Sorry? You don't like him?"

Her head snapped up, eyes wide. A conversation about relationships barely had come up in the Freeman household. Even when it did, Gordon would always say "Your too young".

However, Gordon smiled. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you haven't noticed it."

"Um," She said, confused. "Yeah. I have. But, you had always told me that I couldn't . . ."

"Honey," His voice came out, calming her nerves. "You are getting to that age where you have to be wondering about these things. Do you not like him?"

Sam was taken back. "Well, he is a great guy and all. But . . ."

Her father waited for an explanation.

"Gosh . . . when we were young, I would always play with the other kids outside. And he . . . he would just stay inside, reading a book or something."

She looked up at dad and realized he wanted more. "Dad, I need someone more adventurous. Someone who will step out of their bubble, you know?"

Her old man sighed. "Okay. You know what you want. But, you've got to admit, he is on the good looking side."

_Yes he is_. Although a bookworm, Nathan Forest was far from ugly. He had a sharp jaw with deep green eyes, like her father. His thick brown hair was always sticking up in a partial foe-hawk, but still fluffy. Nate's physique was a bit skinny, but he made that up with hidden muscles lining his arms and legs, as if he had some surprise strength.

Sam continued with the bizarre conversation. "It's not all about looks, dad."

Gordon grinned. _So true. _

--

The conversation ended once they stood next to their apartment door. The tired dad slid the key card through the slide lock. A green light indicated that the door was now ready to be opened. The pair entered. The "apartment" was a large room with a kitchen at the left side and two bedroom doors on the right. The middle area contained a table and some beat up sofas.

In the kitchen area was Alyx Freeman, Gordon's wife. She was cutting carrots when she noticed her family.

"Hey, guys." She said through clenched teeth as her knife stuck into the vegetable. "How did it go, Gordon?"

He limped over and kissed her mocha colored cheek. "It went great."

Alyx rolled her dark eyes. "I've heard that before. Could you at least tell me the truth?" She pointed the cutlery at Sam, who reluctantly told her what really happened.

Gordon limped past his daughter on his way to the bedroom. "Traitor." He whispered with mirth. As soon and the man of the house disappeared behind closed doors, Sam took a seat near the kitchen counter, resting her chin on folded arms.

"Need any help?"

"Nope," Alyx chopped one last time. "I'm done."

Sam looked over her mother. Through the years, she had not changed a bit. She still had a curvy figure and always knew how to make her smile. Her mother's hair stayed the same, except the green and red stripe down the scalp had changed into a silver streak.

"How many today." Alyx's voice pulled her daughter out of wonderland.

Sam groaned. "Two."

Her mother nodded. "Which ones?"

"Garreht and Nathan."

A big smile grew on her face.

"What's that smile for?" Sam asked, almost annoyed.

"Oh, nothing."

Alyx couldn't blame those boys. Sam was extremely attractive. Of course, she took after her mother. They were almost twins, except Sam had green eyes and lighter skin. Gordon got to keep those at least. She had tenacity, was steadfast and strong against anything that would face her. But, the one think she couldn't handle, was the endless wave of hormone-crazed boys. Everyday, Sam would have to deal with smitten young men, ready to steal her away from the house at anytime.

"Your smiling about Nathan, aren't you?" An accusing voice rang out.

Alyx grinned deviously. "Hmmm. Maybe."

"Not you too!"

"Well, your father and I feel that he is a nice boy. And very attractive I might add."

Sam hid her face into her arms, trying to hide her embarrassment. She wanted to disappear. She groaned, "I'm telling you guys. Nate is not the one I'm looking for!"

Her mother shrugged, moving a pot full of water onto a burner. "Well, we'll have to see."

Sam tried to hide her constant blushing as she stormed off. But, her mother notice the red against her daughter's face.

Alyx held in a laugh. "I'll tell you when dinner is ready."

--

Private Charles Simpson took one last swig of his cold coffee before tossing the Styrofoam cup into the garbage bin. He had been sitting in the satellite control room for hours. Everyday he had to sit, watching the dozens of screens wrapped around the closet sized room. Every monitor held a video feed of the rebel satellites lining Earth's atmosphere. All they showed was deep space. Nothing special.

Private Simpson sighed. He really needed to get transferred.

A screen to his left flickered.

At first, he didn't spot it, until it started to blink in and out of it's picture. Simpson turned to the screen. Static started to slowly drift from the sides towards the center.

_What the heck?_

He checked a holographic image of the Satellite. Nothing was damaged. Next, he ran a scan, making sure no signals were disrupting the feed. It was faint, but the scanner picked up a small ping . . . from space.

The monitor began to fizzle intensely now. Without a thought, he picked up the phone and called the commander in charge.

--

"Captain Mien, sir. We are receiving some interesting reading from Satellite 37. We are loosing the feed. There is some interference from an unknown source." A pause. "No, sir. But, whatever is causing this is getting closer. It seems . . ."

Suddenly, the screen turned pitch black.

"Sir, we just lost the feed completely!"

To his horror, more screens around the rooms started to falter. Static quickly engulfed each monitor.

"And . . . and we are getting more static from Satellites 24 and 36. Wait . . . we just lost the feed to those too!

All of our Satellites on that side of the planet are disappearing. Sir, I have no idea what is going on!"

The commanding officer on the other side decided to use the telescopes on the ground, hoping to get a picture of what was going on outside of their planet.

"One moment sir . . . patching telescope feed now . . .. Oh, my God."

_:) So, I'm back. I hope to give you another splenjoyfull fiction. Splenjoyfull is a word. Go look it up. Hope you like this though. MORE ON THE WAY!!_


	2. Chapter 2: So It Begins

--

--

Kathryn Forest flipped through countless files, making sure each one was in it's proper place. Behind her, Nathan slipped on a black jacket, getting ready to call it a night. But, his mom had other plans.

With her back still towards her son, she gently teased. "So, someone was acting nervous today."

Nate stopped, surprised by the sudden statement. "I'm sorry?"

Kathryn turned in her chair, now facing her boy. "Oh, come on. You practically tripped over your jaw today, the same way you had been doing since you were thirteen."

His face turned into a frown as his eyes looked to the floor. "It's not like that."

"Oh, it isn't, eh?" She called out with mirth.

Nate moved towards the exit. "I've . . . got to go meet some friends."

"By 'friends' you mean Samantha."

Dr. Forest could barely contain her laughter as her son slammed the bulkhead behind him.

--

Private. Charles Simpson froze in his chair, stunned by the image that spread across his monitor. The screen contained deep space along with it's stars. But there was a foreign object invading that space.

More than one.

Over thirty massive shapes moved through the pitch darkness. If the satellites had not malfunctioned, Charles would have never caught the unidentified spacecraft.

A voice on the other line of the phone reminded him that the captain was panicking. His superior officer asked if these were Combine ships.

"Let me enhance the image."

Charles quickly typed some commands into the computer. The picture slowly sharpened, revealing a more detail horror. There were thirty ships, each one missive. Their length calculated as long as Texas. Black, shiny metal covered the hull of each terror, allowing moonlight to gleam off.

Scanners indicated that these were not Combine ships.

"Computer reads that these are not Combine aircraft." He informed. "I have never seen those in my life."

Yet, somehow, they were strangely familiar.

--

Sam pulled her hair back into a spiky bun, only allowing two strands of dark to fall down on each side of her forehead. She was getting ready to play with D0g tonight, hoping to get her mind off of the stress of mundane life.

D0g was Alyx's old companion. The four ton robot was created by Sam's grandfather to protect her mother as a child. Now, D0g was Sam's protector.

The young Freeman slipped on a white shirt, covering it up with a zip-up navy hoody. She folded the sleeves up in customary fashion. To complement the outfit, she wore Alyx's old jeans, which still sported holes and patches.

Once satisfied, she exited her room, finding Gordon relaxing on the couch.

"I'm going to go play with D0g for a few hours."

Without opening his eyes, her father simply groaned. "M'kay. Don't stay up to late."

Sam smiled before slipping out into the main passageway silently. She jogged down the hall, happy to get a chance to leave the stuffy base.

--

Charles checked the trajectory of the strange craft. Each ship was moving strait for Earth, but towards different points on the planet.

_That can't be good. _

"Sir, these ships are moving towards Earth at different points."

He quickly checked the path of each ship. His heart stopped.

"Um . . . . one is coming strait for our positions. E.T.A. five minutes."

Before he could finish the sentence, one of the computers on the other side of the room blinked red. Charles rolled over, scanning the incoming message. All color from his skin flushed out.

"Sir! We just lost contact with Dallas! Reports say that these ships are already deploying ground troops at every major city!"

The captain on the other line started to scream orders. But his voice was drowned out. A sharp screaming sound reverberated through the base. Charles didn't even get to think before blacking out.

--

Sam managed to avoid several boys from her class before finding an empty hall to run down. She wanted to escape from this dull atmosphere quick. Her footsteps clapped against the walls. She turned the corner into the next passageway.

A shrill scream pierced the once silent hallway. Seconds later, the whole facility shook violently, sending Sam to the floor hard. She felt vibrations coursing through her body painfully, shaking her bones. Almost out of instinct, she curled up into a ball, screaming. Rumbling through the passageways, a wave of heat passed over her, searing the back of her neck.

Moments later, the shaking subsided. The loud noise was gone.

Sam slowly uncurled herself, looking at the surrounding area through moist eyes. The hallway was now filled with little bits of rubble. The lights flickered for a moment before resuming their regular duties. Farther down, she could see what only could be described as far off flames.

She shook with adrenaline, only just making it to her feet. Standing in a daze, her mind raced.

_What was that?!_

Suddenly, her thoughts took a turn.

_Mom! Dad!_

_--_

Sam sprinted towards her apartment, tears streaming down her face. The area felt hot, as if fire was behind each wall. Sounds of constant rumbling filled the air. Although filled with fear, Sam was trying to keep calm. If she lost her head, she could make a grave misunderstanding. She kept running. Turning around the next corner, she froze.

Up ahead, the sight nearly made the young Freeman fall to her knees. Fathers, Mothers, children, scientists, mechanics, and doctors all ran the opposite way. On each face, Sam saw the same emotion. Fear.

She approached the nearest scientist, wearing a standard white coat, now stained with blood. He held his gashed arm, pouring out gore. Sam held up her hand to her mouth at the sight. The wounded scientist noticed her.

"Do you need something." He hissed between raspy breaths, but completely ignored the fact that he was loosing too much blood.

"U-uh," she stammered. "What happened?"

He clenched his teeth in pain, but managed to say, "I've not the faintest idea. There was an explosion. All I know is that I was thrown to the ground. I have no idea what caused it."

Sam's eyes peered farther down the hall.

"Don't bother," The scientist spat. "That whole side of the base is obliterated."

She couldn't feel her heartbeat. Without saying another word, she started to run again.

--

The long passageways began to grow darker. But Sam wasn't paying attention to the lighting. Bodies were now lining the floors, allowing sticky blood to cake the concrete. Sam's throat began to choke. Having never seen bodies mutilated and she was horrified. This finally made her break. Her knees melted. All feeling in her body disappeared. She fell to the ground, letting out anything that was in her stomach.

_Please, God. Please let my family be safe. _

After relieving her sickness, Sam rose to her feet, making sure she kept her eyes strait ahead. Again, she ran at a quickened pace, trying not to trip over any of the dead.

--

Nathan lumbered to his feet, disoriented. He groaned as pain shot through his temple. Dizzy and confused, he tried to remember what happened.

_An Explosion? All I could feel was fire. _

His breath caught in his throat.

_Oh, no! Mom!_

--

As Sam's legs burned from running, she quickly asked the wounded about the situation. It was the same answer from everyone: a strange explosion.

She tried finding information from security guards, but to no avail. Just about to run around until she gave up, one of the security guard's radios crackled to life. The few people in the hall stood silent for a moment. Each one still with terror, listening to what was broadcasting on the COM unit. Sam was stunned.

The radio was filled with sounds of gunfire.

"_This is . . . tain Mien. We are being attacked b. . . . please assist. . . . are being overrun"_

The security guard pressed the "talk" button. "What? Who is attacking you?"

A long pause drifted for a moment before the static returned. _"We don't know. . . . they came . . . too many of them ." _

Sounds of intense fighting continued on the other side, until: utter silence.

The guard in their midst tried to contact the captain again, but with no success. He turned to the group.

"Alright, we need to get out of here now!"

No one argued. Everyone moved quickly down the hall. Sam ran the opposite way.

"Hey!", the guard called after her. "Where are you going?!"

"I need to find Mom and Dad!", she shouted without stopping. In her mind, she was wondering if they were okay. Her second train of thought wondered what force was moving through the base.

--

Though his mind raced with fear for his mother, Nathan tried to keep cool. That was, until sounds of fighting erupted through the walls. He heard hundreds of guns firing in unison.

_What is that?_

The fighting drew closer. Nathan decided it was not safe to stay in one spot. He moved down the hall, only to be stopped by nearby footsteps. And strange noises, almost like a bird shrilling. Almost out of instinct, Nate ducked into the nearest room, only to find out it was a closet. Stuffing himself in as best as he could, he remained unseen by the strange group that passed the door.

Peering through a sliver of a crack in the door, Nate could see figures over six feet tall and wearing shinny black and grey armor. Their "heads" were triangular, featuring three, light blue eyes in the same pattern. Long tubes extended from their backs into their helmets. Both their arms and legs were long and sleek, as if they could bend them any which way. They carried what looked like guns, which featured sleek, black spikes coming out of the main barrel.

One of the strange creatures uttered the same noise Nate had heard moments before. The group moved out of sight.

Nate stumbled out of the closet. He didn't know what those things were, but he felt his body shudder at the thought of them.

--

Sam entered her apartment, finding the place empty.

"Mom?! Dad?!"

No answer.

_Oh, no. _

She checked every room, only to find each one empty. Having no time to stick around, she entered the hallway again.

Down the corridor, she could hear a radio. She walked up the hall. The noise grew closer, within hearing range.

"_I repeat," _the radio shouted. "_Gordon Freeman is down!" _

Sam felt like her heart exploded.

--

_Okay. Please tell me if this chapter is okay. I love reviews and constructive criticism. _

_I want you to know that I do have most of this planned out. I am going to have two episodes after this one, just because I want to. I have over twenty five new locations, some new characters and six new weapons. Trust me, this is going to be a long one. But, if you think I am doing a horrible job with this, I will not continue. :) More on the way. _


	3. Chapter 3: Escape the Fire

--

--

Grabbing a portable radio and handgun from a nearby dead security guard, Sam ran past rubble filled hallways. Keeping the radio close to her ear, she tried to pinpoint the exact location of her father. Now, all that could be heard were screams.

"Please," she cried to no one. "Please talk to me."

The COM unit replied with more static.

"_. . . Gord . . . level."_

Sam stopped in her tracks, pressing the speaker against her ear.

"_Gordon Freeman is in the . . . L4 main crossroad." _

The L4 crossroad! Sam knew that this was just around the corner. Her legs pushed the last few feet. She spun around the corner, keeping her pace quick. Farther down, she could see flames.

_God, no! _

Warm tears streamed across her cheek as the distance was crossed. The place grew hot from the fire. Rebel bodies and spent weapons lined the floor. She payed no attention to these. Entering the point where four halls met, Sam spun her head around, trying to find the one she cared about.

"Dad?!"

No reply. The floor was covered in chunks of rock. Only small piles of fire illuminated the area, keeping the corners filled with shadow.

A deep groan echoed through the thick air.

Sam spun around, finding a bearded man nesled in the rubble.

"Dad!"

Sam jumped to his side, immediately cupping his face in her hands and producing even more liquid in her eyes.

"Honey," He whispered, finding tears in his own eyes.

She looked down at his condition. His black coat was torn, and the white T-shirt underneath was covered with fresh blood. A massive hole the size of her fist was in his chest. She felt horrified.

"Oh, Dad."

He smiled weakly, raising his hand to touch her cheek.

"It's alright. It's going to be okay."

"But, your hurt. I'm going to get some help!"

She was just about to bolt to her feet when Gordon's hand grabbed her arm.

"No," he whispered, still smiling. "It's time for me to go."

Sam couldn't hold it in anymore. Sobs choked out her throat. "Dad, I don't want you to go!"

"I know, baby. But I have avoided death so many times. It's finally caught up."

"No! Please, no."

Blood seemed to pour profusely now from his wound. He winced before looking deep into his daughter's eyes. "I love you. Now, go find your mother and tell her that I love her, too."

Sam couldn't speak past her emotions. She simply nodded.

Gordon Freeman smiled for the last time. "I know you won't … listen, but I have to… ask you one thing."

"Yes?"

"You have my lucky side, but . . . don't do anything crazy."

Sam didn't really understand, but gave a small chuckle past her sorrow. She nodded.

"That's my girl."

His smile disappeared. Eyes still connected, Gordon's hand slowly slipped from her cheek. She grabbed it, and held it in place.

"I love you, Daddy."

" . . I love . . .you . ."

His eyes slowly slipped closed. His body relaxed. His chest no longer moved with breath. Sam shook with sadness. She cried until she was gasping for breath, not noticing the person approaching behind her.

She peered over her shoulder to find Nate sitting against the wall, staring out into space. His face was red and wet.

"I'm sorry, Sam." He whispered, not even looking at her face. "I'm so sorry."

The woman in his midst looked at the ground. They sat there in silence for what seemed hours.

"Who did this?"

The sudden growl from Sam caught Nathan's attention.

"I have no idea."

He pointed towards a corpse lying on the ground. "But they look like this."

Sam followed his eyes, now looking at a strange body on the ground. It looked like a man, only skinnier. It's head was a strange shape and had three glowing blue eyes. It wore armor that was a mix of black, grey and blue. She didn't even seem surprised by this though.

She seemed in a daze, no comprehending anything. A few muffled thumps reverberated through the walls, obviously distant explosions. As if on que, Nathan rose to his feet and stood next to Sam's side.

"We need to get out of here." He stated plainly, emotions still in his voice.

There was no reply. The young Freeman simply stared at her dad.

Nathan could hear the fighting getting close. He knelt down to her level.

"I'm going to carry you. Is that okay?"

Again, silence. He nodded knowingly. Slipping his arms under her legs and behind her back, Nate effortlessly lifted Sam. She didn't object. Instead, Sam simply looked out into nothingness.

Nathan began moving down the hallway they had just come from, careful not to trip over any of the bodies. He turned right at the next crossway. Behind him, Nate could hear a high pitched squeal. He sprinted faster. Blue fletches whizzed over his head, nearly impacting against the back of his skull. Using what adrenalin he had, Nathan lost his pursuer in the maze of corridors.

He was about to cross another intersection when a battle ensued. On one side, the rebels were spraying bullets at the pressing invaders. The strange army on the opposite side filled the hall with blue darts, each one exploding on impact. Nathan had to cross between the two.

He chewed his lip, trying to figure out how to get past. Looking down at Sam, he could tell she was in another world, completely oblivious. A rebel frag grenade sent a wave of pressure and debris through the halls. Nate quickly turned his back to the blast, hoping to protect his bundle.

The firing stopped.

Nathan took this opportunity and jumped past the preoccupied warriors. Mere seconds later, the fighting started again. Nate picked himself off of the ground and resumed his escape of Green Base. He knew the main gate was close.

Covering the distance within a few minutes, the pair made it to the gate unharmed. The massive bulkhead had a big hole in it with the sharp sides caving in. Nathan took no time in marveling at the gaping blast point, but was focused on what was going on outside.

It was night out and the darkness filled the ring of woods beyond the base. But, the base was lit up like a candle.

Hundreds of rebels were running around, shooting at the air, shooting at the trees. Dozens of explosions from grenades and rockets impacted the ground every second. Bullets by the thousands filled the air including plasma and fletches.

Nathan began to think that inside the base was safer.

But, nevertheless, they had to get out of there.

Nathan pulled Sam close. He counted. "1 . . . 2 . . . 3!"

Sprinting with all his might, Nate found himself out in the open. He weaved past rebels and enemies alike. Above, several familiar gunships floated above the mayhem, raining down fire upon the helpless humans. To Nathan's left, a huge fire ball stretched towards the clouds, lighting up the entire base. Enemy dropships like he had never seen before landed on the cement, dropping more soldiers before taking off into the darkness.

Nathan tried to dodge every bullet, but failed. One skimmed his upper left thigh, while the other passed strait through his right shoulder. He screamed out in pain, but kept his pace. Not caring whether he was wounded, all he wanted to do is get this girl to safety.

Nathan remembered the entire area lighting up again and heat pouring over his body, but didn't turn around to look. He ran into the forest. Branches and twigs grabbed at his coat and scratched his face. He paid no attention.

Nathan ran until his legs fell out from underneath him, sending the two careening to the ground. He didn't let this stop him.

Crawling over to Sam's unmoving figure, Nate dragged the young woman into the bushes, hoping that this would be a good hiding place. Somewhere in his mind, he knew they were a good five miles away from the destruction, but still wanted to keep cautious. He moved into the brush as well, finding Sam already sleeping on the leaves.

Nate allowed his breathing to slow down and rested his head on his knees. A few thoughts passed through his head. He wondered what had attacked them. He thought about what the next step was. He pictured his mother lying on the floor of their apartment dead.

Fresh tears fell. These lasted until sleep overcame.

--

_Alright. I hope you guys haven't thrown their mouse at the computer because I killed off Gordon. :O If you did, I'm soooo sorry. But, that was for plot purposes. I'm startin' fresh. Otherwise, I hope you guys liked this chapter. _

_For this chapter and the next ones, I'm gonna just give you guys kinda a 'behind the scenes' thing. Well, the reason why I started the action so soon was because in every Half Life game, you start out dazed, confused and in the action without a weapon. So, I wanted to hold true to that. It was hard designing a new enemy. I came up with a few ideas, but all just stupid. So, these guys that I described are perfect for what I want. _

_The character of Nathan Forest was going to be a replacement of Gordon. Of course, I then thought that was a bad idea. Nathan has qualities of Gordon, but they are not twins. What is interesting for me is that I actually have a main male character in my stories that can talk now. :) _

_Your probably wondering why this chapter came out one day after the last. Well, I am bored. Plus, this is going to be a long story, spanning two Episodes after this one. _

_MORE ON THE WAY!_


	4. Chapter 4: Wake Up, Miss Freeman

--

--

Dreaming, Sam grew restless in her sleep. The nightmare of her father caused her to jump out of from the tense slumber.

Fresh tears started to form. The memory of her family's demise still twisted her stomach. She remembered the attack, the flames . . . the dead. These images were new and terrifying. Feeling alone, she curled up atop the mattress.

_Mattress? _

Looking around at the surroundings, she realized that she was in a small bedroom. The bed in which she was sleeping on was dirty grey, but still provided comfort. The wood panel floor was covered in leaves and mud, indicating that this place had not been used in a while. Next to where she lay was a nightstand.

Atop the wooden table was a gun.

Sam gripped the weapon and pulled it close. It had a black handle and tip, but the barrel was made of silver metal, standard pistol for any rebel. She had been trained in using firearms since she was seven, for protection reasons.

As if by nature, she slid the magazine out, making sure it was loaded with rounds. A snarl echoed through her brain. Whoever caused all this was going to be dead. She shoved the clip back into the slot, making a resounding clack Soon, they would pay.

Behind the bedroom door, Sam could hear kitchen cabinets banging.

Her heart jumped. _Maybe sooner than I thought. _

She moved towards the door silently, keeping the gun pointed ahead of her. Grasping the doorknob, she pushed the door, using her training to check each corner of the next room. It was a long hallway lined with wooden doors.

Sam tip-toed out, keeping her eyes moving. The noises came from the other end of the hall, at the right side. Stealthily, Sam closed the distance. A big archway lead into an unknown room. She quickly peeked around the corner, only noticing a big, round table. The source of the noise was on the other side of the wall where she could not see. She would have to move out into the open.

Sam held the gun from her face. Taking a deep breath, she moved in. She quickly assessed the new room. It was lined with dozens of cabinets, along with a sink and an old dishwasher. But, the second stranger in the room was cause for concern. About to squeeze the trigger, she caught herself.

Although his back was turned to her, Sam recognized the man as Nathan Forest. He turned and finally noticed her. His eyes grew worried as soon as the gun was apparent. Ignoring the weapon, Nate looked into her eyes.

"Hi."

Sam was stunned. "Hi."

An awkward silence lasted only moments.

"What are you doing here?", Sam asked surprised.

"Um," he thought, realizing that she didn't remember the last few hours of their escape. "Well, I carried you from the base. We went into the woods."

She stood silent, waiting for more.

"And then, I found this house," Nate continued. "And . . . here we are."

Sam's lips formed an "oh", but the word didn't come out. She relaxed the gun, allowing Nate to relax. But, her face was still filled with hurt and confusion. Looking past his frame, she spotted a SMG and a walki-talkie sitting on the counter.

"Were did you get the walkie and the guns?"

Nate didn't answer. His head dropped after he nodded towards the nearest window. Perplexed, Sam walked up to the glass. Her eyes widened as she brought her hand to her mouth. Outside, rebel corpses were strewn across the front yard. Flames from destroyed Lambda vehicles licked at the sky. The ground was no longer green, but red.

Sam heaved what was left in her stomach. Nathan moved over and guided her to one of the chairs circling the table. Her breaths rasped for air. Tears reappeared.

"Oh, God," She breathed. "What happened?"

The question wasn't directed at anyone, but Nate took his place on the other side of the table, willing to give the best answer.

"I don't know." He chose his words carefully. "But, whoever did this, they have managed to hit us where it hurts."

The woman sitting across from him shook with sobs. He tried to think of something encouraging, but drew blank. She had lost someone dear to her. Even her friends and relatives were dead.

The thought brought his own tears. He had lost love ones as well. Memories of his mother flooded through his brain.

Both survivors of the Green Base attack broke down at that table.

Nathan was the first to break the emotions.

"Do you want something to eat?"

Sam then realized how starving she was and whispered her approval. Nathan rose from his chair and pulled one of the cabinets open. Out of the shelves, he produced a blue and yellow can, in which he cut open with a rebel hunting knife. He gave the can to the young woman.

Sam studied the crème colored fruit inside. Although hating pears with a passion, she swallowed the whole can in just a few bites. Nathan joined her, carrying his own food of canned peaches.

Suddenly, Sam gasped. "Mom!"

She jumped out of her chair, cupping her face in her gloved hands. "Oh, no! Where is she?!"

Nathan was by her side instantly. Before she could run from the house, he grasped her arms, holing her firm.

"Samantha . . ."

"We have to go find her!"

"Samantha!" he called her name louder, finally catching her attention.

"I was listening to the radio this morning," He tried to collect the words. "Those things captured her."

Sam's eyes grew large and venerable. But, now there was hope.

"That means she is still alive!", the optimistic tone almost lifted Nate's spirits.

Her face grew serious for a moment, as if in deep thought, but turned into fury a moment later. She muttered something under her breath.

"What?" Nate inquired.

Dark eyes now met his. "We have to go get her."

Now, it was Nathan's turn to be dumbfounded. Without saying anything, Sam slipped from his grasp and grabbed the pistol off of the table.

"Sam!", he tried to reason. "We don't even know where she is."

Ignoring the quip, she moved out into the gore filled yard, Nate close on her heels.

"We need to know what we are facing!", he called, still failing to convince.

Sam knelt down on the grass and proceeded to slip a holster belt off of a dead rebel. Whipping the belt around her thighs, she holstered her weapon. Turning to meet his gaze, her face softened.

"I cant make you understand, but, I need to find my mother. There is no way that I'm going to stand here when the woman who raised me is in danger. And I am going to find her. You're a doctor. You belong here. There are wounded back at the base. They need you."

Silence followed, leaving dead space within their own presence.

With that, Sam walked towards the woods, not knowing if she was going the right way.

A quick clack sound emitted behind her. She spun to find Nate checking a SMG's clip. He slipped the magazine into it's proper place and pushed the bolt back into place. Slinging the gun around his shoulders, he began to walk past her.

"Where are you going?!" Sam called, confused. Nate turned, his face like stone.

He moved in, mere inches away from her face. "You are not going out there alone. You'll be dead before you even get to a road. Now, I'm going, whether you like it or not."

Sam didn't relize that her jaw fell. She was kinda taken back by this strange doctor. Her face grew serious again.

"Can you use a gun?"

Nate's head cocked to the side, annoyed. "Sam, you know that I went through the same combat training you have."

She simply nodded. "Okay. What do we do next?"

--

_Okay. This was a short one. I'm sorry. No action. But, there are going to be a few chapters like this, kinda helping with the plot. The next one will be a little more exciting, but not a whole lot of action. :) More on the way!_


	5. Chapter 5: First Contact

---

The season of spring had always been good to the forest. It's trees now a color of deep brown and their leaves red and gold. Only seldom parts of the ground were exposed, being that it was blanketed and crunchy. Spring had been Sam's favorite time of the year. But, now, she moved between the trees alert and cautious.

Nate was close behind her, his gun sweeping the area. Every snap, crackle or pop was a potential sign of an attack. However, none came. This did not dampen their awareness. The forest was silent, for the most part. Only the steady breathing of the two and an occasional breeze kept their ears pricked.

"Where are we heading towards?"

Nathan's whisper cut through the air. Sam turned her head slightly, only to bring it back to the sights on her gun.  
"There should be a small path up ahead. And that should lead us to some kind of road."

"Hopefully, we can find a vehicle there."

She smiled, glad that this guy had her plan in mind. Her thoughts were interrupted when a piercing shriek echoed through the trees. The pair turned, both guns pointing towards the direction of the noise.

"What was that?"

Nate was a bit shaken. "I don't know. That didn't sound human."

Tense moments passed, but the noise or the one who made it never reappeared. Nate and Sam once again moved through the brush, now more alert than ever. It didn't take long until a new sound emerged.

They both crouched, keeping their ears prone.

"Do you hear that?", Sam inquired, straining to hear the faint noise.

"Yeah. Do you know what that is?

"I have no idea." She shrugged. "Lets get a bit closer."

They slipped through the dead leaves, their feet giving away small crunches. The sound grew into a roar. Nate could see movement beyond the trees up ahead. As if a hidden instinct kicked in, they both ducked to the foliage, hidden under a hut of green. Their weapons were primed, ready to attack at anything. The sound grew closer.

Sam's finger relaxed on the trigger. She could discern voiced from the roar.

Human voices.

Curling her finger towards the sound, Sam indicated to Nate that they needed to move up. He nodded in agreement. Keeping to the shadows, they drew closer to the noise. The roar, as it turned out, came from a crowd. Passing the last line of brush, the pair found themselves in a small clearing.

Sam almost dropped her weapon, shocked at the scene before her.

Hundreds of rebel refugees were walking, limping or jogging in a long line towards an unknown destination. They carried makeshift bags and baskets, each holding necessary clothes and food. Every face was filled with fear and hurt. It looked like every one of them had blown out their emotions.

There was something eerie about the whole scene: No one talked. Despite the distant cry from a baby, the crowd was silent. No one spoke. No one even looked at each other. They didn't even notice the two newcomers melt from the forest. Nate and Sam moved through the throng of people trying to understand what happened. They tried to ask, but no one replied.

"Oh, my God. What is going on?", she asked when Nathan found her. The people seem to move around them, like a rock in the middle of a river.

He shook his head. "No one will tell me. They all seem to be frozen."

Sam brought her hands to her cheeks, feeling warm tears starting to develop. "This is insane. What should we do?"

Nate looked into her eyes, seeing the horror she felt. "Lets just follow them for a while."

They flowed through the crowd, keeping their distance, not wanting to bother anyone. Traveling only for a few minutes, Sam could see someone standing in the middle of the river of people, as if waiting for them. She then realized that it wasn't someone, but something. The Vortigaunt was staring as they approached, but not surprised.

"Please," the strange alien waved. "Follow."

They obeyed.

---

Nate didn't know what to think about this whole thing. A crowd of this size would not go unnoticed. It was only a matter of time.

The strange Vort lead them deep through the trees. A few hundred feet away, Nate could see a clearing. Stepping out of the brush, he followed Sam and the alien into a small circle cleared of trees. In the center was what looked like an old, cement bunker.

"Inside, please," the Vortigaunt grumbled.

Without thinking, Sam moved towards the open bulkhead. Nate pursued her inside.

They found themselves in a small room, filled with a handful of rebel soldiers and more Vorts. They seemed all in deep, quiet conversation. The whispers stopped as they spotted their new guests. The rebels didn't move, but the group of aliens stepped forward, crowding around Sam.

Before any of them could speak, the young Freeman became impatient.

"What is going on?", she demanded, trying to keep the hopelessness from her voice.

The strange being surrounding her seemed to groan and exchange glances. One of the bigger Vourtigaunts stepped forward.

"We are unaware of the principles of this new and devastating enemy."

A scowl appeared on Sam's face. "You mean you don't know?"

The question was replied with a nod.

Fury engulfed her eyes. "I need to know who killed my father! They are destroying everything we love and I am not going to stand around and let this happen. We need to know what these things are and how to kill them, NOW!"

Nate stepped back, surprised by the sudden outburst. Sam was never the angry type, before the attack. But, after the death of her father, and her mother missing, he knew that she would snap soon.

This blind fury was something different though.

However, the Vorts seemed unfazed. They slipped away from their angry guest and debated among themselves.

Nate drew closer and whispered to Sam.

"You okay?"

He noticed that her fists were clenched and shaking. Resting his hand on her shoulder, Nate tried to calm his tense companion.

"Hey, It's going to be alright," he cooed. "We'll find a way."

Sam was still looking at the Vortigaunt group, but relaxed slightly. "We don't have time for this."

As if they had heard her growl, the withered group approached the young Freeman. "After debating the outcome," The leader of the Vorts stated. "we know of a way to find more information about this terrible threat."

Sam relaxed her fists. "How?"

The aliens directed their eyes to the floor, as if ashamed. "There is one being who knows much about our enemy. Although, we would not suggest this course if it were not the only way."

Sam stepped forward. "Lets do it."

A growl emitted from the Vort's throat. "As you wish. Please follow my brother's into the next room."

Nate was close on their heels before the alien raised his hand. "Only the Samantha Freeman will proceeded."

"Oh," Nathan simply said, as if he had been declined entrance into a secret club. "Okay. That's fine."

Sam gave him a small smile before disappearing into the next room. The leader directed her to the center, allowing the rest of the Vorts to make a circle around her waiting figure.

"Try to relax."

She tried, but couldn't shake the feeling that this was a bad idea. They started to chant, waving their long fingers in the air. The room started to darken and energy the color of purple started to emit from the hands of the Vorts. Chanting filled the air. A strange feeling started to overcome Sam's body. The room was almost pitch dark now and the Vorts themselves started to turn a bright purple color. She felt like her legs were melting, causing slight disorientation. The last thing she heard was Nate shouting. It sounded something like "What are you doing to her?!".

Then, everything turned black.

The only noise penetrating the darkness was a deep breathing. Sam suddenly realized that it was her own breath.

Panic started to seep into her thoughts. _Where am I?_

The blackness was overwhelming, only adding to the fear. But, Sam found that she had her eyes closed.

She slowly opened her lids. The Vourtigaunts where still surrounding her prone body in a circle. They still glowed with a purple sheen. It was the only illumination in the cold darkness. The entire area was black, as if she had never opened her eyes. Vertigo swept through her guts, but she found her balance quickly.

She swept her eyes around the area. It was just blackness and Vortigaunts.

"What is this place?" She called to the silent aliens. They did not respond.

Confused, Sam ran her hand through her short hair. _What am I doing here?_

Preoccupied with this puzzle, she didn't spot the person standing behind her back. The blue suited man gave a small, evil smile.

---

_SORRY!!! I should have posted this sooner. It has been mid-term week here, so I've been off the wall busy. But, I hope you like this chapter. It was really tough to write and is a little short. But, more on the way, despite the short chapter. _


	6. Chapter 6: Smell the Ashes

"Gree. . tings"

Sam spun around as soon as the drawn out and creepy words cut through the air. Once spotting the tall businessman, she jumped back, surprised by the sudden appearance. This only made the mysterious man's smile to widen.

"May I . . . help you?" His eyes bore into Sam's, almost as if he were studying her innermost being.

She hesitated. Whoever this man was, he didn't look friendly.

"Um," her voice rang out, holding a bit of fear. "I'm here to find some information."

He cocked his head to the side, quizzically. "I would be . . happy to help. But, first . . . we must be polite and exchange," He sucked the air into his lungs with a hiss. ". . . names."

Sam cringed away, finding her fear for this strange man grow with each word uttered. His evil smile never faded.

"Alow me to . . . begin. My name is the G-Man."

Dazed and confused by this strange conversation, Sam had no choice but to play along.

"Hello." She spoke the words softly. "Um, my name is Samantha Freeman."

The smile upon the G-Man's face vanished. His brow tightened. Sam noticed that his hands were clenched.

He spoke in a dark, throaty voice. "Free . . . Man? Would you, . . . by any chance . . . be the daughter of Gordon . . . Freeman?"

The snarl caught Sam off guard and she started to step back from the infuriated man. " . . . yeah. Why?"

The anger in his face disappeared suddenly. He adjusted his deep blue tie and lifted his chin a bit.

"I knew your . . . father."

Her eyes grew wide. "My father?"

The G-Man's shiny black shoes clicked on the never ending floor as he started to circle the girl, never taking his eyes off of his guest. His scowl deepened.

"Your . . . father, was my greatest instrument. He was my . . . right hand . . . man."

"Did he work for you, or something?", the question was bold, but Sam had no problem asking.

As if on que, the unholy smile returned. "Yes. I offered him . . . a job."

"Oh. What did he do for you?"

A moment passed. "He. . . destroyed my enemies . . for me."

Surprise conquered Sam's face. She backed up a few steppes, twisting her hands together. The G-man stepped forward, closing the distance,

"But," he continued. "In the . . . last moments . . . Dr. Freeman destroyed me."

Confused, Sam struggled for anything to say.

The demonic businessman simply waved his hands around the black area.

"So . . . here I am: my prison." He shot a glare at the surrounding Vortigaunts before sending the look towards Sam. "My compliments . . . to Dr. Freeman."

Sam stood silent, trying to comprehend this man and why he had such hatred for her father. Anger built up inside her.

"Listen," she stepped forward. "I came here for information, not to hear someone whine about something that happened in the past. Will you help me or not?"

She expected an explosive reaction. Instead, his face was like stone before the side of his lip curled up.

"Of . . . course. I am always . . . obliged to help a . . . young woman like yourself. Tell me . . . what is the information that you seek here."

Sam hesitated, trying to find the will to talk. "Well, Earth is being attacked by a huge hostile force. We have no idea what we are up against here. Here I am, trying to find that answer."

The smile disappeared again. His eyes darted back and forth at the Vorts. Sam noticed that he seemed uncomfortable. Taking small steps, the G-Man came closer to her face.

"They are . . . the Purge."

A moment of silence passed. "The Purge?", she tried to keep the perplexed tone out of her voice, but knew she failed. The G-Man turned and started to walk away. Sam thought that the conversation was over.

His slow, creeping voice crawled from his turned body.

"When the Combine conquer a . . . planet, they remove all the . . . recourses from it's crust."

Turning his head, he resumed eye contact.

"There was always a . . . contingency plan. If the . . . Combine are not successful in . . . removing the planet of it's inhabitants . . . they would release their most dangerous force. The Purge. They are . . . the elite warriors of the galaxy." He waved his hand in the air in mock appreciation. "The Combine use them to . . . eradicate any world they desire. But, only in . . . emergencies."

Sam was stunned. The Combine hadn't found earth in twenty years. Earth had constructed the RCH (Repressing Communication Hub) that blocks any communication, both through waves and portals, that would let the Combine find their planet again. But, now, even despite their efforts, their enemy was now sending their best army to destroy Earth. Sam felt disoriented.

"How?", She whispered.

The G-Man's smile widened. "'How', indeed. This army can not be . . . stopped. You humans will see . . . your last life."

She looked up at him through tears escaping her eyes. _What will we do?_

As if reading her mind, the strange business man knelt down to her level and looked deep into her eyes.

"Fight." He stated.

Confused, Sam did a double take. "Fight?"

He nodded. "That is . . . all you can . . . achieve for now. You are like . . . your father. Do not . . . fall."

With that, he stood and started to disappear into the darkness. "Farewell. We will not . . . have another conversation . . . in the future."

Sam watched as the entity vanished in the darkness. She sat shocked on the ground, not able to feel anything. Earth was being destroyed, her mother was captured and dad was dead.

She buried her head in her knees and let the tears fall. _What can we do? _

_. . . Fight._

Looking up from her knees, she looked around at her alien friends. _We will fight. And they will pay. _

She stood, wiping the water from her green eyes. Each Vort seemed to stand up taller, ready for anything she would say. Her face turned hard, serious for the task ahead. No more crying. Guns would blaze and she would push through enemy lines until she found Alyx.

"Take us home."

---

_Awwwwww. The G-Man has a soft spot. Well, your probably wondering why he became so nice at the end of the conversation. What I think is that the G-Man has no hope of escape. He is going to be there for a long, long time. Plus, in The Final Push, he actually is the enemy of the Combine. So, the man is lonely and this is his only time he'll meet someone, plus, he is rooting for Sam because he knows she has her father's skillz. That is why he was so . . . I dunno, creepy, but in a nice creepy way. _

_NOW the action will start. And start it will. The fights between Sam and Nate against the many different types of Purge soldiers will grow with each attack. There is a certain Purge unit that I am really excited about revealing, But . . . it doesn't hit the pages 'till Episode 1. :) Thats a couple of months away. Tee hee. _

_More on the way. _


	7. Chapter 7: Rise of the Human

---

_Crap._

Nathan brushed a small pebble with his boot, trying to find something to keep his attention. But, no matter what he tried, his mind always worried about Sam. It had been a solid ten minutes since she and the group of Vortigaunts had teleported out of the bunker. Now, the only company Nathan had was the constant stream of wounded soldiers filling the tight space to the brink. He tried to rest his mind, but the constant cries of pain that filled the room decimated all strong feelings.

_Come on, Sam. _

He managed to keep his mind occupied on finding some fighting clothes. His dirty jeans and torn up black jacket felt awkward with this crowd. After a few minutes squeezing through the masses, he found a large pile of clothes, no longer owned by any soldier. Nate rummaged through the pile, finding fatigues that fit his slender frame. The combat pants and shirt were a dark grey, almost black fabric. Rolling the sleeves up to the elbow, Nathan then applied gloves on both hands, each one cut near the middle of the fingers, exposing the skin. He discovered a pair of black boots and a harness that buckled around his waist and wrapped over his shoulders. At the end of the transformation, he marveled at how ready he was for anything. Now, he only had to wait for Sam.

---

Cringing at the brief moment of pressure across her body, Samantha slowly opened her eyes, discovering that she was in the middle of an empty, cement room. The Vorts, all surrounding her in a semi-circle, looked to her for the next step. It only took a moment, before Sam realized they were back at the bunker, just in a different room she didn't recognize. A small bulkhead door stood at the left side of the room. Beyond it, she could hear human voices.

"_Oh, crap."_

She felt a knot tying in her stomach. Having no urge to actually announce the devastating news to the rebels, Sam knew it had to be done. Every Vortigaunt in the room seemed to sense her distress, and simply raised their arms towards the door, as if to invite her on.

Sam bit her lip and gripped the latch to the door. After taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and pulled. The voices grew in volume and light poured through the open doorway. Sam stepped forward and realized that she stood in front of a crowd of rebel soldiers, all packed within the main area of the Bunker.

Sam immediately felt intimidated. Cries of pain and anguish filled the air, along with the smell of blood. The floor was covered with wounded victims, each one screaming for help. The few healthy soldiers and medics within the room tried their best to help out each of their wounded brothers. At the far side, there was a radio, but Sam couldn't tell if it was working.

The room grew quiet. All eyes turned towards her. Even the screams of anguish seemed to damper in sound. Whispers moved through the crowd. Sam could barely hear what they were saying, but picked up small talk about "Freeman" and her age. Sweat began to form at the edge of her hair. Her mouth suddenly went dry and her heard began to beat hard and fast. Sam didn't know if it was the nerves, or just the fear of bringing horrible news. She only knew that words could not form.

Then, she felt something squeeze her arm. Her gaze found Nathan, standing at her side and smiling.

"You okay?" He asked, sounding worried.

Sam simply gave a nervous nod. A bit of relief escaped. She did not feel so anxious, now that she knew that she wasn't alone.

One of the Vortigaunts standing behind her raised his hands into the air. "The Samantha Freeman would like to speak!"

The crowd seemed quite intent in listening to what she had to say. Sam took in a breath.

"I know what is attacking the planet."

She paused, waiting for a reaction. The crowd stood silent.

"They are called the Purge. And . . ." Sam flinched. "They are part of the Combine Empire."

A series of surprised looks and gasps flowed over the group. Sheer hopelessness erupted in the crowd. They started to doubt their own strength. Some even started moving towards the exit, ready to run. Even Nathan felt dumbstruck.

"Wait!" Sam raised her hands, trying to keep their focus. "Please!"

The masses attention once again focused on Sam.

"I know what you are thinking!" Sam tried to keep the pain out of her voice. "These are the same forces that conquered our planet long ago."

"Yeah! In seven hours!" A lone voice shouted out.

Sam groaned. She knew that this would only get harder. "Yes. But, when the Combine came that day, we were surprised. Caught off guard. We failed because we gave up so quickly. We failed because we let Breen surrender for us. Our grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers suffered under that violent, alien government."

She looked out at the hopeless eyes of the human soldiers.

"But, it took one man, my father, to pick up the common rebel and bring down those bastards. They managed to rise up against the Combine and bring them down with our will and our fortitude."

A few faces in the crowd began to harden. Even some began to nod in agreement.

"Now its our turn," Sam growled. "Its our generations turn. The Combine have come back. We have a chance to push them back to their world and pick up our families out of the dust!"

Sam pointed towards the door. "They must know that they cannot step onto our soil and pass without us granting them their need for death!"

All the soldiers within the building began to cheer. Waving their guns into the air, they all achieved the morale that had been desperately needed. Even Sam felt empowered. She stepped into the crowd towards the exit. Nathan and the few Vortigaunts followed her into the outdoors. Sam took in a deep breath of air.

"Geeze," She breathed, turning towards Nathan. "I don't want to do that again."

Nate smiled, giving a small chuckle.

Just then, a short, balding man burst through the bulkhead door. "Samantha Freeman!"

The man stopped before Sam, heaving. "Got a signal . . . out of the radio. They have taken . . . your mom . . . Alyx . . . north."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "North?!"

The man nodded, still trying to catch his breath. Sam wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

---

Nathan laughed at the short man's surprised look as Sam hugged him. After the quick squeeze, Sam relieved the man.

"When did they take her?"

"Two hours ago." The man stated.

Sam's face turned hard. "Do we know where they are taking her?"

He shook his head. "We don't know. There a hundred places they could be taking he too. But, they did stop at Brexington."

Sam frowned and brought her fist up to her mouth, indicating that she was thinking. "Well," She began. "I should start at Brexington."

"You mean 'We' should start at Brexington." Nathan stepped in, voicing his plan.

Sam smiled. "You mean to tell me that you still want to tag along?"

He shrugged. "Sure. I have nothing else to do."

One of the Vortigaunts stepped forward. "May I ask how are you getting to this town of Brexington?"

Sam's eyes scanned the area. "Well, I don't see any vehicles. So, our best bet is walking."

"It is a three day walk to the town of Brex. You'll never make it in time to reach your enemy."

Sam stood silent for a moment. Then, her eyes suddenly shut. Nathan didn't know if she was sleeping or thinking.

"City 17."

Everyone in the small group looked at Sam. She opened her eyes.

"We have to go through City 17."

The group fell silent for a moment. The short man spoke up.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope."

"No, seriously. That is just suicide."

One of the Vortigaunts spoke up. "I agree with the short one. That is not a wise decision."

"It's the best choice!" Sam stated. "It will cut our distance in half, plus there is the Forgotten motor pool there. Nathan and I could find a vehicle there and then make our way to Brex."

The Vort grumbled. "Still, danger is within high limits."

Sam rolled her eyes.

"But," the alien included. "It is the best option."

The young Freeman smiled and gave the Vort a quick hug. Looking around, Sam spotted an armament table and made her way towards the weapons. The short man still seemed flustered by the decision.

"You can't be serious! Do you even know what is in the ruins of City 17?"

Sam was strapping a holster around her thigh when she spoke without eye contact. "What is your name?"

The man sighed. "Bill Gather."

Sam pulled a pistol and a few clips from the table. "Well, Bill. I'm sorry to say this but, its none of your beeswax what we do. So, you can stop annoying me."

Bill stood shocked by the sudden insult. He turned towards Nathan, who was leaning against a tree with his arms folded across his chest. "Can you talk to her?"

"Oh, no," Nate replied with a smile. "I'm done trying to argue with her. You'll get used to it."

Sam looked up, surprised by Nate's teasing tone. He smiled, causing herself to smile. Bill waved his hands up in the air in defeat.

"Forgive me," one of the Vorts spoke up. "my name is Gru-liop. Two miles west, you will find a shed. It is a teleport outpost. The men there will get you to City 17 within seconds."

Bill looked concerned. "If the guys there can teleport you to City 17, why not teleport to Brex?"

"We have lost all contact within the city." Another Vort spoke up.

After slinging a SMG around her shoulder, Sam nodded. "Then we will head west. Hopefully, there are no Purge troopers between us and the shed."

The Vortigaunts all grumbled in agreement. "Farewell then. May you have a safe and enduring journey."

"Yeah," Bill spat. "And I'll call ahead at the City 17 outpost. Make sure they have some of our guys there to help ya. Bye."

Both Sam and Nate nodded. They turned towards the forest and began to disappear within it's branches. The journey had begun.

---

_Sorry guys that it took this long. A lot of problems had come up, and I had to redo this chapter a few times. But, I'm glad to have it out. Plus, this was supposed to be done yesterday on my first anniversary of writing Half Life fan fiction. Didn't get it done though. Blech. OKAY. Now, I am not lying! The action starts now! I hope you like it though. More on the way. _


	8. Chapter 8: New Combat Training

---

"So how far do you think this shed is?" Nathan called over his shoulder towards Samantha as the pair moved deeper into the woods. They had been walking for half an hour towards what they knew to be a Human outpost with a teleporter. Nate only prayed that the outpost wasn't overrun with Purge soldiers.

Samantha shrugged her response. "No idea. We have to be getting close."

"I hope so. It just seems to be getting really quiet."

Samantha stopped to listen. He was right. There seemed to be no noise except for a slight breeze rustling through the overhead branches. It was eerie.

Nathan's head suddenly turned towards something to their left. Samantha slightly ducked out of instinct. "What," She whispered. "What is it?"

Nate slowly crouched, almost disappearing into the thick bushes lining the forest floor. "I don't know. I thought I heard voices."

Samantha scanned their surroundings, trying to pick out any movement. The line of visibility was obscure thanks to thousands of branches and trees. She slipped her SMG from her shoulder, aiming the weapon directly in front of her line of sight. "Lets move in a little closer."

Nate simply nodded and retrieved his weapon as well. They moved forward, careful not to make too much noise. As they drew closer, Sam could hear voices as well. The problem was, these voices didn't sound human. Nate quickly raised his hand, indicating that she stop. Only then did she realize that her heart was racing. Adrenaline seemed to replace her blood.

A small curse escaped from Nathan's lips. He turned to make eye contact with Sam and mouthed the words 'Purge soldiers'. Her heart seemed to stop. She tried to look through the brush, but couldn't see anything that resembled a hostile alien.

_Oh, crap._

Nate looked around, as if to form some plan. After a few tense seconds, he pointed towards a tree. "Get behind that," He whispered. Sam obeyed, moving silently behind a thick oak. Nate found a similar tree and moved behind cover. He stood there for only a moment before easing his head around the trunk of the tree.

What he saw was a small clearing surrounded by trees. Nestled within the trees on the far end was a shack that seemed to blend in with the surrounding nature. It was a small building, but big enough for a few people to hold out in. At the center of the clearing, there was a small gathering of people resting on their knees. Three humans, with their heads bowed to the ground, were put in a row, as if they were going to get a firing squad. But, the humans were the least of Nathan's problems.

The heavily armored Purge troopers surrounding the small band of humans stood motionless in the tall grass, looking over their prey. Their long barreled fletch rifles lazily pointed towards the ground, but were ready to fire if any of the prisoners decided to run. With their pointed black armor, the aliens looked more like dark knives jutting out of the ground.

The door to the cabin flew open and a tall Purge soldier stepped out into the sunlight. This particular alien was different from the rest. Its head was covered in longer spikes and it wore what looked like a flowing kilt around its waist made out of black silk. It walked towards the group of prisoners with an air of dignity, with one clawed hand resting in the nook of its back. It stopped mere inches in front of a bearded man with a dirty coverall on. The alien stood motionless for a moment, then waved his hand through the air.

"Although, you humans lack the essential data to perform proper teleportation," the alien began, and to Nathan's surprise, spoke in an English accent, even though it did not have a mouth. "Your primitive attempt at its technology is quite daring. Although, I am not here to converse on the delicacies of time and space."

The alien knelt down and brought one sharp talon underneath the man's chin, raising his face to make eye contact. "I need to know where the Central Disruption Turbine is. And I need to know now."

The man stared into the dark eyes of the enemy, but did not speak a word. With a small shrug, the Purge officer stood and motioned to one of his guards. One of the deadly soldiers leveled its weapon at the nearest human, a redheaded female, and pulled the trigger. A single fletch embedded neatly between the eyes of the woman and started to vibrate. Before the she could scream, the round exploded, taking her head with it. The man next to her screamed, but the bearded scientist just moved his eyes to the ground.

The Purge officer continued. "Now, you do know that there is someone on this forsaken planet that will tell me the coordinates. It does not matter if you tell me. In fact . . ."

It brought its face close to the human's. "This is my fun for today."

---

Nathan had had enough. He checked his SMG, praying that the 9mm rounds would be enough to kill the monsters. All in all, they had to knock out five soldiers, not including the Officer. Looking up, he could see Sam making sure a clip was firmly place within her gun. Nate quickly held up five fingers and began to count down. They gripped their weapons tighter as his fingers curled up into a fist. In unison, they both moved out of cover and fired. The first rounds impacted the first two guards and bounced off the reflective armor. After a sustained burst for a few seconds, the bullets began to remove large plates of thick plating and started to hit crucial body parts. Blue and grey blood began to fly out of cracks in their armor. Thankfully, they had the element of surprise, and the remaining aliens quickly shot at shadows.

Sam dove behind a stump in time to miss a barrage of fletches which impacted the ground, whined, then exploded in a puff of blue shrapnel. Splinters started to fly off the wood stump as the soldiers skillfully kept Sam under cover. She could have been easily flanked if Nate had not drawn their fire.

Nathan moved into the clearing, knelt, and began hammering the nearest Purge in the helmet. A few rounds found their mark, and produced gore out the back of the alien's head. Its comrades didn't seem to like that, and concentrated their fire on the new threat. Nate dove into the tall grass, a split second before dozens of highly explosive feathers impacted the ground behind him. Once regaining his footing, he leveled the SMG towards the group of three Purge soldiers and pulled the secondary trigger. A single grenade escaped the barrel with a loud POOMF! Nate screamed for Sam to cover herself. An instant later, a shockwave of flame, smoke and dirt erupted in the middle of the hostile foes. Armored body parts flew out at random vectors.

Nate collapsed to the ground, suddenly exhausted by the extreme adrenaline pumping through his body. "That was crazy."

He stood and looked out into the dark smoke and didn't see any signs of life. "Sam?"

"Over here!" The young Freeman walked out from the trees, looking a bit overwhelmed herself. She looked at the pillar of flame and ash rising up into the sky. "Huh. Not bad for our first fight."

Nate chuckled. "Yeah, well . . ."

Something moved in the smoke. It was fast, but Nate caught it for a split second. Before he could react, a sleek, deadly killing machine pounced out of the dark cloud and made a dead run towards the young human male. The Purge Officer plunged his fist strait into Nate's chest, sending him sprawling across the clearing. Nate felt all the air in his lungs escape and he tried to breath, but could not suck any air back into his throat. He felt something pop in his chest as the fist collided with his ribs. Sam cried out his name out, but the ringing in his ears made every noise faint. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground. The Officer was on top of him in seconds and grabbed at his neck, cutting off any air supply. Nate felt the cold metal of its hands squeezing the life out of him. He tried to pry the hand away, but it was like moving a crane from his throat. Trying to think of a way to get loose of the deadly grip, Nate's eyes began to darken.

_Oh, please don't black out!_

A steady throb started to pound inside his head. Behind the alien, Sam ran up, leveling her gun towards the enemy, but didn't fire. She knew she could end up hitting Nate instead of her intended target.

Just then, the Officer's head exploded in a symphony of sparks, tubing and grey goo. The grip instantly loosened and Nate dropped to the ground, trying to receive air in rasping gulps. Sam was by his side in an instant.

"Are you ok?!" She asked franticly. He quickly raised a hand, still having a hard time regaining his breath.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He looked down at the corpse of the alien. "Did you do that?"

"Nope," a voice called out from behind them. They both turned to find the bearded man holding a smoking shotgun. "That would be me."

---

The small group that consisted of Nate, Sam and their new friends J.B. (aka. The bearded man) and his partner Steven Jiles congregated inside the cramped cabin space. It was only one room and was surrounded by conduits and computers. In the far corner was a circular teleport able to fit three people in it. J.B. explained that they were just about to blow the cabin up and move to the nearest extraction zone when they received a call that both Nate and Sam were on their way. It was at that moment that Purge troopers overwhelmed their cabin and took them prisoner.

"Damned good to have you come at the right time, and all." J.B. commented, using a thick rural accent. He eased himself into a chair with a groan. "Now, what can we do for you?"

Sam gave him the rundown of their plan. She told them that they needed to get to City 17, find a vehicle and get to Brex. J.B. simply nodded and began the warm up procedures for the teleporter.

"The few teleports around City 17 are practically the only ports in the entire province that haven't been cut off. But, if I know these quick SOBs, they'll start hitting those next."

"What was that Officer guy asking to find?" Nate asked.

"The Central Disruption Turbine. It controls nearly fifty percent of our teleport worms that criss-cross the country. If they knock that out, we would have to rely on either driving or walking around here. And in my opinion, that would suck. It really doesn't matter anyways . . ."

A low hum started to emit from the teleport and a faint blue glow surrounded the machine.

" . . . At the rate these guys are going, we won't have any working teleports to use anymore."

J.B. quickly checked the data, sent out the correct receiver codes and warmed up the central coolant conductors. "Alright, you two. Get in there."

Nate and Sam squished themselves into the small closet space of the teleport. Steven, who hadn't said a word after the death of their former colleague, pulled down the gate and latched it shut, confining the two travelers inside.

J.B. continued the operation. "Ok, sending you off in 5. 4. 3. . 2. 1 . . ."

----

There was a flash of light. Sam could only see white for a few moments. It faded and she found herself in the same confined space of the teleport, except this time it was pitch black. She could feel Nate next to her, but couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. The gate rose up suddenly, and a pair of shotgun barrels met her square in the eyes. Sam quickly rose her hands. "Don't shoot! We are human!"

The guns relaxed slightly. A pair of rebels who looked like they had seen better days backed away, still keeping their shotguns ready for any trouble. One of them spoke. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Sam stepped out into the light, still keeping her hands in the air. She quickly assessed that she stood on a subway platform covered with tables and beds. The tunnel was to her left. One side was closed with rubble, but the other seemed to turn away around a curve.

"My name is Samantha Freeman. My friend and I are here to find a vehicle so I can get to Brex."

Both guns fully relaxed now. The guards made eye contact and nodded. "We've been waiting for you. Come on. The sergeants waiting."

---

The guards stepped down into the tunnel and flicked on their flashlights. Nate and Sam followed close behind. They walked around the curvature of the corridor for a few minutes before coming upon another subway platform. The only source of light was produced from a dirty fluorescent, giving off and eerie blue glow. Sam counted five more men relaxing against pillars, debris and makeshift mattresses. One of these men had fiery red curly hair and was built like a wrestler. He was sitting atop a wood table, picking at something under his nails with a combat knife.

"Sergeant Callahan?"

The Sergeant lazily looked up from his work. "Ah, so you are the kids that we are supposed to protect, eh?"

Sam, a bit taken back by the sudden rudeness, stepped forward. "Are you the dirty bunch of stragglers that we are supposed to let tag along through City 17?"

He stopped, smiled, then jumped down from the table. Holding out his hand he said, "The name is Chase. Sergeant Chase Callahan of Bravo Company."

Sam took the hand a shook it. "Samantha Freeman. This is Nathan Forest. We are here to see about a vehicle."

Chase nodded. "Gotcha. Well, those are kinda hard to find, unless you're thinking about asking the Forgotten for one."

"Actually," Sam added, with a smile. "I think we are going to have to steal one from them."

A bigger smile spread across Chase's face. "M'kay. Then lets get started."

---

_Hey everybody. I'm waiting for you to start screaming at me for taking so long. I had a lot of family issues lately, so I've been away from writing for a while. SORRY! Hope you liked it though. I'm sure there will be a bunch of new Half Life fan fictioners on here now who have no idea who I am, so I guess this is the best way for me to introduce myself. Welcome new guys. If you hadn't noticed, I make a lot of Fan Fiction based on Half Life. And recently, I suck at posting them at decent time frames. But, I hope you guys like this. Please Review! _


	9. Chapter 9: Familiar Surroundings

---

Nathan watched his step, trying to move silently through the darkness of the subway tunnel. He was trying to follow the shadows in front of him that consisted of Sam, Sergeant Chase and his fire team. They were moving through the pitch black of the underground corridors, trying to get as close to the city center without being noticed. So far, there had been no enemy contacts. But, just to make sure, Chase ordered there be no talking until they reached their exit point towards the surface.

Unfortunately, this gave him some time to think about his mother. Memories of finding her broken body on the floor of the lab. Flames everywhere. Blood.

Old tears suddenly wanted to escape again.

"We're here."

Nate looked up, discovering the group had come to another subway platform with stairs leading towards the surface. A dim beam of sunlight pierced through the darkness, allowing some illumination. Chase stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face his group.

"Alright. We are right underneath Street 112-A. There is a large courtyard above us, which will limit our cover. Basically, we'll be out in the open. Now, if we follow this street, it should take us right next to a Forgotten Motor pool. I don't think I need to remind you guys of how pissy these guys will be when we 'borrow' one of their APC's."

Nathan didn't need to reminded. He had heard about the Forgotten. They were a large band of Combine who decided to hide in the ruins of City 17 shortly after the destruction of their empire. Here, they had managed to put up a pretty good defense of guerrilla tactics and always seemed to keep themselves alive within the debris of the city. Although, the Forgotten was slowly dying away, they never disappeared completely over the years. Search and destroy teams such as Chase's group were assigned to scour the city and eradicate any Forgotten soldiers that consisted of old Overwatch and Civil Protection officers. But now, this enemy now seemed insignificant compared to the Purge soldiers spreading across the land.

"So," Chase continued. "Move quickly and keep to the shadows. Keep quiet and, God willing, we'll get there without being noticed. Got it?"

Within the darkness, Nate shook his head. He could feel Sam shuffling uncomfortably next to him and letting out an explosive sigh. She was apprehensive. He had to admit, he was a bit nervous too. The pair wasn't trained in the art of war or combat. Their battle in the forest that had taken place not a half an hour ago had already lost its luster and the sudden adrenaline spike was gone. It started to grow again as the anticipation of jumping into another dangerous situation was drawing near. Nate gripped his SMG a little tighter.

Chase moved up the stair well just to peek his head out onto the street. He returned and motioned towards his troops. Two fire team members lifted their pulse rifles ahead of them and moved up and out into the street, watching their corners. The rest of the team followed with Nate and Sam close on their heels. They all moved out into the twilight lit street. The sky was orange as the sun slowly passed down over the horizon.

Nathan quickly assessed their surroundings. They were standing in a large courtyard surrounded by shops and townhouses. Or . . . what was left of them. The buildings looked demolished and crushed. The roads themselves were clogged with blackened shells of vehicles. He was surprised that anything or anybody could still be living in the city.

"Nate . . ." Samantha whispered.

He turned to find her staring at something behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he was awestruck by what he saw.

What used to be the great Combine Citadel Tower was now a massive pile of black shards stretching towards the clouds. Smoke and fire still seemed to burn from its core, as if hell remained inside of the gigantic broken structure.

"My God."

"Nope," Sam muttered. "My Dad."

She chuckled. "He always seemed to make a mess wherever he went."

Nate smiled. "Seems to run in the family."

A small smirk pulled at the edge of Samantha's mouth, but she didn't comment. Instead she lifted her SMG and moved with fire team, keeping close to the buildings for cover.

---

"Freeman. Keep it tight."

Chase waved for Sam to come closer. She jogged closer, jumping over what looked like a burnt sidewalk bench. Somewhere behind her, Nate was keeping close, but always scanning the buildings for movement. As she drew near to the red headed commander, she noticed Chase's face was stone cold. He motioned for her to come closer.

"Ok, Miss Freeman," He whispered, keeping his eyes on dark windows and shadows. "The Motor Pool is up this street and down to the left. Take that ally way. . ."

He pointed towards a shadowy space between what looked like two blown up houses. " . . . That will take you to a large mall parking lot. That's where the Forgotten keep their vehicles. Now, here is the tricky part. Are you listening?"

Sam quickly nodded her head.

"Good. We have already been spotted. We've had a few squads of Forgotten pissers following us the last few blocks. Don't even try to find them. They are hidden in the buildings, but they're there."

Chase quickly relieved his pack from his back, rummaged through its contents and produced two circular canisters and handed them to Sam. "Now, what you are going to do is you and your little boyfriend there are going to run for that alleyway. Me and the boys are gonna stir up some trouble here. When you get to the Motorpool, chuck these babies . . ." He tapped on the silver canisters. " . . . and watch the fireworks. These should give you enough of a distraction to get in and steal an APC. Do you know how to hotwire one of those?"

Sam nodded, quickly remembering the day she and her dad had practiced stealing Combine vehicles . . . just in case.

"Good girl. I think we got about fifteen seconds before these guys decided that they are bored. You ready?"

Sam turned towards Nate, who had been listening in on the conversation. He quickly gave the thumbs up. She nodded her head. "We are ready. And thank you."

Chase smiled, revealing deep dimples in his freckled cheeks. "No problem, little lady. Get going. Go!"

In an instant, Sam was on her feet and running through the darkening street. Chase must have been preparing something long before their conversation because the entire fireteam produced rockets from their packs and started spreading wildfire on the surrounding buildings. Explosions erupted and artificial dust storms were formed in the streets. Suddenly, pulse rounds and bullets whizzed through the air, impacting the ground around them. Sam prayed that Nate was behind her and wanted to risk looking behind. But a gentle shove and a "Keep moving!" signaled that he was still close behind. They reached the alleyway with little resistance and kept moving until their legs burned. Breathing heavily, the pair stopped and crouched behind a dumpster.

"Whew. I hate running." Nate stated out of the blue. "So this Motorpool is around here somewhere, huh?"

Sam quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. "Yeah. Chase said it should be down here somewhere. We just need to keep moving."

They both started to jog again, moving silently down the dark passageway. Soon, they emerged into a large clearing. Sam quickly spotted what looked like a shanty mall or warehouse. Its massive parking lot was the main draw for attention. Surrounded by a chain-linked fence topped with barbed wire, the parking lot was a hub of activity. Dozens of APC's, broken down Helicopters, and vehicles Sam had never seen before crowded the large space of asphalt. The area was illuminated by spotlights and sparks produced by welding equipment. Unfortunately, there was life occupying the Motor pool as well.

Combine soldiers still dawning their old uniforms moved with their own purposes: repairing vehicles, guarding the outer gates or overall supervising. Their armor was dated and torn. Some of their masks were held on by adhesive strips or tubing. Pale white skin pierced through their shredded armor. They looked like they had lived off of dust and ashes, nothing like the feared Overwatch soldiers that held the world under an iron grip.

"We need to get down there and find a working APC." Nate Suggested.

Sam scanned the crowds of vehicles. In one corner, there was a group of Armored Personnel Carriers, all neatly parked alongside each other. They looked like they worked, but it was hard to tell from the distance. Sam quickly devised a plan.

"Which way is the town of Brex?"

Nate fished a data pad from his belt, checked the known road markings in the area and pointed towards a road located on the opposite side of the Motorpool. "If we take that road out of the city, we should be able to hit the highway and drive strait to Brex . . . theoretically."

"Theoretically?"

Nate shrugged. "We don't really have good maps for City 17, so I don't know if the roads are blocked or worse. I'm just playing this by ear . . ."

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "Me too. Ok, here's what we are going to do. I'm going to set one of these canisters on the far side of the Motorpool. This should give us a nice distraction so we can just slip in, grab an APC and drive out of here."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Sounds easy enough."

"Well, it's all we got, so shut up."

"Ok. Ready?"

"Yep."

"Lets go."

----

Nate sat in a ditch, keeping his ears pricked towards any hostile sounds. Sam had left him there while she went to plant the canister around the corner. The fence into the Motorpool was a mere few feet away. They had found the ditch and used it as a blind spot, hoping the guards wouldn't catch them. So far, no Forgotten troops seemed to notice they were there. While Sam was gone, Nate had used his time in clipping the fence so that when she returned, they could make a run for the APC's. Now, it was just a waiting game on his part.

And he hated to wait.

Especially for this girl. He didn't like being left alone. And he really didn't like leaving Sam all alone, either. The thought made him shuffle nervously in his place.

Just then, Sam sprinted from around the corner, almost squealing. Nate stood up strait, ready for anything. "What's wrong?!"

"The fuse was a lot faster than I thought!"

A moment later, the world lit up like a blazing sun. The Earth shook violently as a massive fireball spilled into the air. The accompanying shockwave almost pushed Nate to the ground. Sam kept running. "Come on!"

Nate followed her through the hole in the fence. The entire compound was a flurry of activity. Garbled radio chatter filled the air as confused Combine soldiers tried to make sense of the random explosion. Searchlights panned the Motorpool, but on the side of the aftermath. Sam and Nate navigated swiftly in between vehicles. A few baffled CP's turned and spotted the strange pair, but were quickly gunned down by Sam's accurate pistol fire.

They reached the APC's within seconds and Sam wasted no time in locating the back panel. The APC was a large vehicle covered in six-inch thick, black, metallic armor and could move pretty swiftly cross-country. One drawback it had was it was terribly easy to hack into, if somebody had the proper EMP tools. Unfortunately, Sam did not have the proper EMP tools. These were hard to come by. So, she would have to hack into the vehicle manually.

She quickly pried one of the panels loose, revealing a keypad. Using a combat knife from her pack, she pulled the keypad faceplate loose and disconnected the appropriate wires. She was about to connect the loose wires into her data-pad when a few bullets pinged off the APC's armor.

"They know we're here!" Nate screamed, trying to get his companion to hurry up. He returned fire.

"I'm working on it!"

Her hand shook as she connected the wires to their proper ports and started a decoding program. Fortunately, these Forgotten guys didn't change the codes to their vehicles. Within seconds, Sam had the back door to the APC open. They climbed in and Sam instantly grabbed the controls in the cockpit. Nate shut the door behind him and cursed when he looked out the transparent metal window. Groups of enemy squads were starting to circle their APC, showering it with light weapons fire.

Sam struggled to find the right controls, having never operated a complex machine like this one.

"Crap!" Nate shouted. "I don't think we should stay here!"

Sam was about to throw her own obscenities at her nagging companion when she found the ignition lever, threw it into gear and pushed the throttle. The engine roared to life just before lulling down to almost a muffled whisper.

She smiled, gritting her teeth. "Hang on to your panties!"

---

_Woo Hoo. Still writing. Even I'm surprised. Well, I hope you guys liked this one. I enjoyed writing it. Please R & R. I know I kinda lost a bunch of you to time, but for those who stuck with the story after all this time, a special thanks to you guys. The reviews are really helping me, so thank you everybody who is actually reviewing! More on the way. _


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